


It's a Start

by aceschwarz222



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Fluff and Angst, Forgiveness, Friendship, Loki Angst, Loki Does What He Wants, Loki Feels, Loki Needs a Hug, Protective Tony Stark, Second Chances, Stubborn Tony Stark, bucky barnes & loki friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-21
Packaged: 2018-11-23 08:21:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11398743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceschwarz222/pseuds/aceschwarz222
Summary: Tony Starks little sister moves into the Avengers Tower for the summer, but she isn't the only new resident. Bucky Barnes and Loki are both seeking refuge in the Tower. While the others are wary of their presence in the Tower, Tony's sister believes in kindness and second chances. Can she help Bucky and Loki realized there's still good left in them? Can she convince Tony, Steve, and Sam that everyone deserves another shot at redemption?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Loki fic, so feedback is always appreciated!

You plopped your bags on the tiled kitchen floor and sighed as you stretched your sore arm muscles. “Thanks again for letting me stay here, Tony,” you said, turning around to face your brother. 

“Anytime, sweetheart,” he replied, placing your last two bags on the floor. He kissed your forehead and wrapped you up in a hug. “You’re always welcome here.”  

You were living in the Avengers Tower for the summer with your older brother, Tony Stark. Okay, so he wasn’t actually your biological brother. In fact, he wasn’t even a brother by marriage. You were Pepper’s seventeen year-old sister, and even though she and Tony broke up more than a year ago, he never stopped loving you like his own sibling. He would still cheer you on at your soccer games, take you to the movies, and just spend time with you. You had been living with Pepper to claim residency in New York to get a cheaper tuition rate at your first-choice college. When Pepper got called away on a job for the summer, it made sense that you would stay with Tony. 

“Hey, it’s Y/N!” You turned around and saw Steve, Sam, and a brunette man standing in the doorway. 

“Steve! Sam!” you yelped, running over for a group hug. “I’ve missed you!” They gripped you tight and smiled. 

“Y/N, this is my friend, Bucky,” Steve said as he pulled back. Bucky, forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. Tony had prepared you for Bucky’s recent arrival at the Tower. You knew all about his past and his current recovery. You were surprised Tony was letting him live here due to their...rocky history. One look at Tony’s flared nostrils told you it might not have been completely his choice. 

Bucky’s eyes widened as you approached him. Instead of overwhelming him with a hug, you stuck out your hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Bucky,” you said. He stared at your hand before gently shaking it with his own. 

“Nice to meet you too,” he mumbled. 

“Well isn’t this sweet?” a voice sneered. You all turned to find another man walking into the common room. It was actually more of a strut, to be honest. He wore a simple black t-shirt and black lounge pants. You noticed a thick band locked tightly around his wrist. 

“Loki,” Sam greeted. His voice was laced with venom, and his eyes narrowed as Loki approached the group. Tony and Steve stood in front of you protectively. You rolled your eyes and pushed through them. Sure, you’d heard of Loki. Pretty much all of New York had. But that didn’t mean he scared you.

“Hi, Loki,” you greeted, sticking your hand out just as you did with Bucky. “I’m Y/N. Tony’s sister.”

Loki looked down at your hand like it was covered with garbage. You stood firm and kept eye contact, never once looking away. He grinned devilishly and turned around, completely ignoring your kind gesture. 

“What an ass,” Sam muttered after he had left.

“Awww, c’mon,” you replied. “He just needs someone to be nice to him.”

“You’re too nice, Y/N,” Steve said, ruffling your hair. “That bracelet of his might subdue his powers, but it sure doesn’t fix his attitude.” 

“He’s a killer and a menace,” Tony agreed. “He’s only here because…” You tuned the rest of Tony’s explanation out as you watched Bucky’s demeanor change. Bucky’s face flushed at Tony’s words, and he stared at the floor. 

“Y/N, are you listening?” You blinked and looked back at your brother. “I said stay away from him,” Tony repeated. “I mean it.”

You smiled and did what any good sister would do. You completely ignored him.

You made it your personal mission to show Bucky and Loki kindness. It started out simple enough. Every time you saw them, you would say hello and smile. Bucky would always whisper hello back, and it took him two weeks to actually smile at you. Loki was a bit more difficult. He would shoot you his usual sneer or ignore you altogether. 

You loved to bake. So, whenever the mood struck you, you would spend the morning making brownies and cookies. You would always give Bucky a small plate, and his eyes would light up. Always the gentleman, he would mumble a “thanks” and give you a small smile. You settled for leaving Loki’s plate outside his door whenever he shut it in your face. You felt like you had a better relationship with Loki’s door instead of the man himself. You couldn’t help but shoot him a self-satisfied smirk whenever he went to the kitchen to deposit his empty plate. He would leave it on the counter next to the dishwasher just to piss Tony off. 

Then, you upped your game by inviting them to the gym to workout or spar. You went later in the evening when no one was around to bug you. Bucky was always up to release some tension, so he joined you most of the time. Loki slammed the door in your face the first few nights, but you never let it deter you, and you continued to ask. After a week, he would show up to the gym about twenty minutes after you and Bucky started your workout to “observe stupidity at its finest”. Yeah, right.

The sore muscles sucked, but it was worth it to see Bucky smile a little more and come out of his shell. He had a cool personality, and he shared your love of science. He was always sliding news articles under your door about some new invention or discovery. Some days, you would walk around the outside track and talk about space for hours.

Loki was still a work in progress though. He stopped slamming doors in your face, and he even gave you tips on how to fix your form during sparring. Sure, they weren’t said in the nicest way, but progress is progress. Unfortunately, he had yet to get comfortable with you like Bucky had. But that all changed with movie night.

You were able to coax Bucky and Loki out of their rooms at least twice a week for a Disney movie. It started out with both men on opposite sides of the couch and you in the middle. As movie nights progressed, they slowly inched closer and closer until you all sat right next to each other. Loki swore it was for easier access to the popcorn. Bucky insisted you needed a friendly hug during Disney’s cruelly sad scenes. You just smiled and let them believe whatever they wanted. 

The movie choice for tonight was  _ The Good Dinosaur.  _ Of course, you were sobbing within the first twenty minutes after Henry’s death to the point where you had to pause the movie. Even Bucky looked a little choked up. You maneuvered yourself under Bucky’s arm and snuggled into his chest for comfort. Loki was quick to capitalize on your misery. 

“Are you actually crying?” Loki laughed. “He didn’t even die a noble death!”

You punched Loki’s arm as you wiped tears off your cheeks. “It’s so sad!” you whined. “Haven’t you ever lost someone?” 

Loki felt like he had been punched in the gut. Memories of his mother’s funeral flashed in his mind. His eyes clouded over, and a frown took over his entire face. You half expected him to storm off or yell at you.

“Yes, I have,” he said quietly. He tightened his hands into fists and stared down at the floor.

“Me too,” Bucky replied, his chest rumbling against you. 

Loki looked over at Bucky and saw the pain fill his eyes. He nodded briefly at the super solider and looked back at the screen. “Are you going to continue the movie or not?” he asked, the meanness from his voice gone.

You quickly pressed play before quiet Loki could become annoying Loki. You watched the rest of the movie in silence until the very end. You had made your way back to the middle of the couch as things got intense with the pterodactyls. You tried not to cry again, you really did, but when Arlo made Spot go back to his family, you lost it. You sniffled as you felt the tears burn the back of your eyes. You were about to retreat back into the safety of Bucky’s arms when Loki cleared his throat.

You looked over and saw his arm lifted out to the side. He glanced between you and the movie screen nervously as you tried to figure out what to do. Bucky discreetly tapped you with his foot and raised his eyebrows as if to say “go over there”. You slid cautiously across the couch and under Loki’s arm. Nestling against his side, you let the tears fall as the Arlo and Spot said their last goodbyes. He tightened his grip around you and pulled you in close. 

That night changed your entire relationship with Bucky and Loki. You gradually went from hanging out in private to socializing in more public spaces. 

When Steve saw the three of you laughing and eating breakfast one morning, he nearly spit out the water he was drinking. 

Bucky was becoming more talkative and enthusiastic around the other Avengers, much to Steve’s delight. And even Loki’s demeanor changed. He exchanged small pleasantries with people as they passed him in the halls. Sam nearly choked on his bagel when Loki offered to put his plate in the actual dishwasher when he was finished eating. 

Tony was probably the least pleased of all. Since you were spending time with your new friends, you hadn’t been hanging out with him as much. To say he was a bit jealous was an understatement. He finally had enough when you walked into the kitchen with Bucky and Loki after playing basketball outside. Your hair was damp with sweat, and your cheeks were red. You laughed as you recounted Bucky’s horrible attempt at a three-pointer. 

“That was absolutely horrific!” Loki exclaimed, opening the fridge for a bottle of water. “You almost hit those innocent trees!” He handed you a bottle of water and tossed Bucky one of his own. It was definitely a step up from slammed doors in your face. 

“Oh c’mon,” Bucky sighed, “it wasn’t that bad.”

“Yeah it was,” you grinned. “It really was.”

Tony tried to keep quiet, but it was all too much. “Did you have fun hanging out? Again?” he asked through gritted teeth. You nodded enthusiastically and gave him a thumbs up as you chugged the cool liquid.

“Yeah!” you exclaimed. “It was awesome!” You continued to describe the game, but he tuned you out. How you could manage to spend time with these two was beyond his comprehension. Tony repeatedly tapped the counter, an action that did not go unnoticed by Loki.

“Why, Mr. Stark!” he taunted. “Jealous are we?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Tony yelled. You froze in your tracks. You had seen Tony angry before, but this was different. His chest was puffed out defensively, and his eyes narrowed. 

“How the hell can you stand to be around them?” he continued, pushing away from the counter. “Knowing who they are? What they’ve done?” Instead of waiting for an answer, he turned around and stormed out of the room towards his lab. 

Your heart beat wildly in your chest at Tony’s unexpected outburst. You dared to turn around and face Loki and Bucky. Bucky’s head hung shamefully, and the tips of his ears were red. Loki’s jaw clenched as his fists tightened at his sides. His nostrils flared as he took deep breaths, trying to contain his rage. He didn’t want to lose it. Not in front of you after everything you had done for him.

“Wh-what he s-said wasn’t right,” you said shakily, still reeling from Tony’s harsh words. “It wasn’t right.”

“But it was true,” Bucky whispered. He lifted his head and gave you a sad smile. “I hurt innocent people.”

You shook your head. “You’re not that person anymore. The people who made you do those things can’t hurt you now.” Bucky nodded, but you could tell he didn’t completely believe you. 

“And what about me?” Loki asked, his icy voice cutting through the air. You pulled away from Bucky, and Loki stalked towards you. “I nearly destroyed an entire city. I killed innocent people in the name of power and glory. I cannot claim mind control as my defense. What retribution is there for me?” He had you backed up against the counter at this point, and you tried to think of something to say as you calmed your pounding heart.

“Ev-ever-everyone deserves a s-sec-second chance,” you stuttered. You swallowed and spoke with more confidence. “Even you. I think you can change. You have changed. And I believe in you.”

Loki’s breath hitched in his throat at your words. The last person he truly remembered believing in him was his mother. Kind and compassionate, you reminded him of her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he slowly backed away from you.

“I’m sorry if I’ve frightened you,” he said, meeting your gaze again. The anger had disappeared and a sadness that mimicked Bucky’s took over.

“Let me talk to him,” you whispered. Both men nodded, and you left the kitchen to find your brother. 

You found him aggressively tinkering away at one of his suits down in the lab. The metal steps clanged loudly as you stomped downstairs to confront him.

“What the hell was that?” you snarled. He ignored you and continued working on his project. “Hey!” you yelled, snatching the tools out of his hand. “I asked you a damn question!”

“Watch your language,” he replied dryly, picking up another tool. 

You stood there, seething, the anger practically pouring out of you. “They didn’t deserve that,” you muttered.

Tony slammed his hands down on the table, causing you to jump. “Yes they did!” he exclaimed. “They deserve worse! They’re horrible people! They don’t deserve forgiveness. Not after what they did.”

You crossed your arms over your chest and stared him down. “Everyone deserves forgiveness,” you replied firmly. “Even you.”

“Me?” he scoffed, raising his eyebrows. “What could I-”

“Ultron.”

That one word stopped Tony dead in his tracks. His color rushed from his cheeks, and his face looked as if it had aged ten years. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, completely stunned by your accusation. But it couldn’t really be called an accusation.

Because you were right. 

“You created something that killed people,” you said. “All because of some mind control, if I remember correctly. Sure, your intentions might have been good, but you played with something you had no control over. And it almost cost you everything.” You stopped and blinked back tears. “Pepper wanted me to stay away from you after what happened,” you choked out. Tony’s face burned with embarrassment as he recalled numerous arguments with Pepper after Ultron.  “She didn’t want you near me. But I convinced her you deserved a second chance.” 

Your voice broke as you cried. Tony tried to step towards you, but you shook your head and moved backwards. “So, yes, Tony,” you sniffled, “I think everyone deserves a second chance. Everyone deserves to be treated with kindness.” A heavy silence hung in the room as Tony let your words sink in. 

“I can’t forgive them yet,” Tony whispered shamefully. 

“And that’s okay,” you sighed. “I don’t expect you to, especially after what happened to your parents. But you can’t keep saying hurtful things like that. It’s not fair or healthy.”

Tony gave you a small smile and walked out from behind his workbench. When you didn’t shy away from his touch, he pulled you close and hugged you tight. “I’m sorry I yelled at you,” he said, kissing the top of your head.

“I forgive you,” you mumbled into his shirt. “But I’m not the one you need to apologize to.” Tony sighed, and you looked up at him. 

“How are you so good?” he asked. 

You shrugged and smirked. “Born this way, I guess.” He gave you one last squeeze and sighed again.

“Looks like I need to apologize,” he admitted. “C’mon, let’s go.”

Tony walked with you back up the stairs. He inhaled shakily as he walked up each step, trying to figure out what he was going to say. Forgiveness was not an option for him just yet. The anger was too raw, too fresh in his mind. But working to be kinder to two people who really seemed to be changing was manageable. It wasn’t as ideal as you wanted it…

But it's a start.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You, Bucky, and Loki spend the evening camping out and looking at the stars.

There was something really cerebral about a black sky dotted with hundreds of thousands of small stars. The air was calm and cool, and the only light came from your campsite fire a few yards away. Crickets chirped in the nearby woods, and you saw the occasional bat flutter from tree to tree.

Tony and the crew needed to spend two weeks in the Avengers Compound in upstate New York, so you found yourself on an unannounced vacation.

It had been your idea for a campout. Jupiter and Saturn were visible in the sky, and if you managed to stay awake long enough for sunrise, you would be able to see Venus too. You had brought Tony’s telescope with you, and you recruited two chaperones to come with.

Bucky said yes right away. He was a huge space nerd and was excited to see the planets up close. Loki had been a bit harder to convince, but after countless days of begging and pleading from you, he finally relented. He determined that you and Bucky needed someone with “extreme intelligence” to help set up a tent and the telescope. You couldn’t help but giggle at that one considering you were pretty sure Loki had never seen a tent before.

Tony had taken much more convincing to let Loki out of the compound.

The atmosphere amongst the three men had gone from sub-arctic to global warming glacial since Tony’s epic blowout. He had been making good on his promise to try to come to neutral ground with Loki and Bucky. You had heard him exchange (very) small pleasantries at the dinner table, and Loki had quit annoying Tony on purpose.

Tony installed an extra tracking device on Loki’s power-subduing band, and he made you carry an emergency button in case there was any funny business. You had deemed your brother’s terms reasonable and left to go camping the next afternoon.

Watching Loki try and set up a tent was absolutely hilarious. You and Bucky let him struggle with the poles and fabric before you finally put him out of his misery. Bucky had put up numerous tents during his time in the war, and yours was up in no time. It had a main sleeping area and three small pods attached to it so you each had your own “room”. You couldn’t care less about the tent, though. You were really out there for the night sky.

Jupiter had been easy to spot during dusk. While it was an interesting planet to both you and Bucky, you were both really excited to see Saturn. A few clouds threatened your perfect view, but once they had cleared, you had gotten to work trying to find the ringed planet.

“I think I see it!” you exclaimed, squinting your eye on the telescope lens. You fiddled with the focus knob and hopped up and down. “There it is!”

The great planet filled your entire telescope, and you gasped every time you saw part of its rings. Bucky had to pry you away so he could get a look for himself. He was just as excited as you to see Saturn up close. He handled the telescope with delicate precision, and you admired his seriousness as he ooed and aahed over the planet.

“Wanna check it out?” he asked Loki.

Loki peeked up from his lounging spot on the grass. “No,” he replied simply, but you weren’t about to let him off that easily. You hopped over and yanked him up by the arm before dragging him over to the telescope. He sighed dramatically and looked into the lens. “Very nice,” he said, completely unimpressed.

You shoved his shoulder. “Butt head,” you muttered. A small gust of wind caused you to shiver involuntarily, and you wrapped your arms around your chest. Loki noticed the gesture and brought you one of the sweatshirts Bucky had insisted on packing. “Thanks,” you said, giving him a smile. “You know, you really need to balance out the whole asshole-nice guy thing.”

“Language,” Loki and Bucky said simultaneously. You stuck your tongue out in response before sitting back on the ground.

“Can you see Asgard from here?” you asked, staring up at the sky. More clouds rolled in, and you thought you heard thunder in the distance.

“Asgard is in another dimension,” Loki replied. “You can’t see it with a mortal’s telescope.” His eyes fell, and you detected a tiny hint of sadness in his voice.

“Do you miss it?” you asked softly.

Loki merely shrugged in response before sitting down next to you. “Sometimes,” he finally said. You laid your head against his shoulder, and he kissed the top of it in response to your comforting gesture.

Bucky sighed and stepped back from the telescope. “Too many clouds now,” he grumbled. “Maybe we’ll be able to see Venus by sunrise.”

You nodded and tried to suppress a huge yawn. All-nighters were never your thing, and you were succumbing to sleepiness at the late hour.

“Someone appears to be tired,” Loki taunted.

You yawned again as your eyes drooped. “Am not,” you mumbled. Loki chuckled and lifted you off the ground to carry you back to the campsite. Bucky followed after you with the telescope. You felt a few pricks of rain against the bare skin on your legs, and you looked up into the sky nervously. All of the stars had been blotted out by darker, ominous clouds, and you definitely heard thunder in the background. The rain picked up, and the three of you managed to get inside the tent just as the skies opened up in a torrential downpour.

The pitter-patter of the rain sounded melodic as it bounced off the fabric of the tent. It contributed to your tiredness even more, and by this point, you could barely keep your eyes open. Loki carefully laid you down in your section of the tent before retreating into his own.  You scooted into your sleeping bag, and just as you were about to fall asleep, a thought crossed your mind.

“Bucky?” you called. “What would you have wanted to do if you hadn’t gone to the army?”

Bucky paused. Out of all of the random questions you had ever asked him, this was definitely the most difficult to answer.

“Ummm…” He trailed off, trying to think. What would he have wanted to do? He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Something with science,” he finally answered. “If I had my choice, it would have been something with science.”

“I think you’d make a great scientist,” you mumbled, pulling the sleeping bag up to your chin. “How about you Loki? Do they have jobs on Asgard?”

Loki chuckled. “Of course they do.” He laid down and zipped up his own sleeping bag. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as the rain continued to fall against the tent. The rhythmic noise was enough to begin to lull Loki to sleep. “I think...I think I would like to do something with books,” he finally whispered. “Perhaps teach, even.”

You hummed in acknowledgement before finally falling asleep. Bucky stared at the roof of the tent and considered Loki’s confession.

“You’d be good at it,” he said. “Teaching, I mean. You’re really smart.”

“I know,” Loki replied, a cheeky grin on his face.

Bucky threw an extra pillow at Loki, but there was no malice behind it. “Can’t you just say thank you?” Without waiting for an answer, he zipped himself in his own sleeping bag. Soon, his breathing evened out as he slept.

Loki closed his own eyes and allowed the sound of the rain lull him to sleep.

 

* * *

 

You groaned as someone shook your shoulder. You reached out of the warm confines of your sleeping bag to punch them, only for your hand to meet the cold metal of Bucky’s arm.

“Argh!” you groaned, waving your hand in the air. “Bucky!”

He laughed and unzipped the rest of your sleeping bag as you whined in protest. “We’re going to miss Venus,” he said, pulling you up to a sitting position. “C’mon.”

You complained a bit more before finally complying. Loki sat in the center of the tent with disheveled hair and a distasteful expression on his face.

“I hate you,” he muttered to Bucky, rubbing his tired eyes. “You could have easily taken her without disturbing my rest.”

Bucky ignored him and opened the main tent flap letting in the cool morning air. “Let’s go,” he commanded. You and Loki both shot him evil glares as you trudged outside the tent.

The sky was still dark, but the faint sunlight on the horizon cast a purplish-orange glow across the damp grass. The rain had cleared away all of the clouds, and you could clearly see the moon setting in the morning light. Bucky set up the telescope, and the grass squished under the weight of it. After a few adjustments and checks, he nodded in satisfaction.

“Check it out,” he encouraged, pulling you towards the lens.

You rubbed the sleep from your eyes and leaned down to get a closer look at the planet. You gasped when it came into view. It was tilted on its side, but you could clearly make out the alternating white and reddish lines on the surface. A faint rainbow halo encircled the edges of the planet, making it look even more mysterious and wonderful.

“Wow,” you breathed, taking a step back. You gave Bucky a huge smile. “That’s so cool!”

Loki couldn’t deny that he was intrigued. After all, he had been rudely awakened at some god-awful hour. It was only fair that he glimpsed the planet too.

“May I?” he asked, stepping forward. You moved aside so he could get a better look. He held back a smile at the tininess of the planet. He had seen more greatness from his own home dimension, but he couldn’t deny the happiness etched on your face.

He would never admit this aloud, but he was glad you had an enjoyable experience with the campout. After all you had done for him and Bucky, he would have spent an eternity searching the sky for wonders for you to see.

“Do you know any facts about Venus?” you asked Bucky. 

Bucky’s face was overtaken with a grin. “Do I?” he asked. “Absolutely! Venus is actually the second brightest object in the sky besides the moon. It’s name comes from the goddess…”

You smiled and stared admirably at Bucky and Loki, thinking about how far your relationship with them had come in a few short weeks. As you listened to Bucky’s facts, you wrapped your arms around each of their waists and pulled them close so you could all watch the sunrise together.


End file.
